Apparatus for producing various kinds of pottery



March 7, 1933. R L, CAWOOD 1,900,797

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS KINDS 0F POTTERY Filed Dec. 9, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 a D N g INVENTOR' wlTNl-:ss 73.13. Gaumont,

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ATTORNEY March 7, 1933. R L CAWOQD 1,900,797

APrARATUs FOR PRoDucING vARroUs KINDs oF POTTERY Filed Dec. 9, 1930 s sheets-sheet 5 r 'w l I 3 y l 2g W mmh l a4 v I' HI' f4 l E Wm! az A 51 lll'. 1 l a an 10 y Vi` 4 6 6 LL y i mlm Y JZ y 4l iqlnwh' m1.. HW 'w' 14 7 l1 Y 44 i; A 16 ATTORNEY March 72 1933. R. L. cAwooD APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS KINDS OF POTTERY 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 9, 1930 Y INVENTOR RL. Ca uraad,

,IJHMM WITNESS ATTORNEY March 7, 1933. R, L. cAwooD 1,900,797

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS KINDS OF POTTERY Filed Deo. 9, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 mvENToR Calf/o o d,

ATTORN EY WITNESS March 7, 1933. R- L CAWQQD 1,900,797

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS KINDS OF POTTERY Filed Deo. 9, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR WITNESS Y 221;, Galagan!) Y Y BY 76a ATTORNEY Patented YMm.l 1, 1933 UNITED sil-'Aras nonwoonor nur uvmon omo manana ron noname vanxous mns or :maar

I Application lied December 9, 1980. lerlal lo. 1.100.

y This invention relates to a method and-apparatus for pressing various kinds of pottery and other goods from dry, semi-dry or moist material.

a It is known that in making pottery on hand screwed presses the rocedure is very slow and in addition air 1s taken into the die and the material being loose considerable air is present in it so that when the plunger enters the die the product becomes wind blown and is therefore porous at diierent` points or laminated and consequently defective. J.

A rimary object of this invention is to 1s provlde a method and apparatus whereby the articles produced have none of the defects incident to wind blowing.

Another object is to so construct an apparatus for carrying out this method that zo the air entering with the plunger as well as that already present is evacuated from the die casing. on the entrance of the lunger.

' Another object is to provide a met od and apparatus whereby the goods may be quickl manufactured and at the same time be ee from wind blowing or lamination.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modiiication wit out departing from the s irit at) or sacrificing any of the advantages o the claimed invention; there being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and practical form, 1n which:

Figure 1 1s a side elevation of the appara- I6 tus used in carrying out the method and which constitutes a art of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front e evation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-f5 of Fig.' 1;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 1s a section taken on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 isa diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus used for carrying out the process or method.

In the embodiment illustrated a suitable taken on the supporting frame A1 is provided having mounted therein a material supply hopper 2, the spout 3 of which discharges into a reci rocatoxy filler box or measuring box 4 w en the atter is in normal position. 'I hJs' 55 box 4 is of a` size to accurate y measure material to be used in the formation of the article. Extendin laterally from one side of this box is a ho low extension 5 the upper wall 6 of which is designed to extend 11n-w der the ho per spout 3 when the box has been mov for discharging the contents thereof into the die casin as will be presently more fully describe The lower wall 7 of this extension slides on a plate 8 arl 65 ranged flush with the top of the die casn 40. It will thus be seen that this box whic is o n both at its top and bottom is normal yclosed at its bottom by plate 8 when it is positioned beneath the s out 3 and re- 70 mains so closed until it exten s or is pushed out over the die casing into which it is designed to discharge its load.

A connecting rod 9 is attached at one end to the extension 5 of the measuring box and 75 at its other end to a disk 10 by means of a wrist in 11. This disk 10 is mounted on a suitab y supported shaft 12 which carries a fixed pinlon 13 which meshes with an intermittent ear 14 mounted on a shaft 15 30 journalled 1n suitable bearings. This intermittent gear 14 has suiiicient teeth thereon to cause, when the gear is rotated, a complete revolutionof the disk 10 and then permits the disk to rest' for three-quarters of a 55 revolution during which time the measuring box is located beneath the hopper spout 3 and takes its charge. In the meantime the sector of the gear 14 completes three-quarters of a revolution without engaging the teeth of the small gear or pinion 13. At the end of this three-quarters revolution the teeth again engage and through the connecting rod 9 the measuring box is caused to make its next stroke to discharge its contents into the die casing and to return to normal position below spout 3.

, Keyed to the shaft 15 which we will term the cam shaft is a cam 16 with which one end of a lever 17 engages. This lever 17 is 100 a bell crank and has connected to its other end an upstanding link 18.

The link 18 carries at its upper end the lower die or plunger 20 which operates in the die casing 40 and which is designed to -cooperate with another plunger 30 herein- .after more fully described. A weight 19 suspends from the link carried end of the bell crank 17 and is designed to automatically lower the plunger 20 when the cam 16 moves away from the roller carried end of lever 17 as shown clearly in Fig. 4.

A sprocket gear 21 is fixed to the cam shaft 15 and a sprocket chain 22 connects said gear withA another sprocket gear 23 carried by shaft 24 which extends transversely of the machine as shown clearly in Fig. 5. This shaft 24 constitutes the riving shaft of the machine and is operated from any suitable source.

Keyed to the shaft.24 is a. cam 25 here shown substantially triangular in form and the periphery thereof is engaged with rollers 26 and 27.' The rollers 26 are carried by cross head 31 on which is mounted the top or upper plunger 30. This cross head 31 reciprocat-es vertically on suitable guides 32 and is connected with a cross head 28 arranged above the shaft 24 and which carries the rollers 27. It is obvious that the cam 25 which is fixed to the shaft 24 moves between these two cross heads so that when the points of the cam are engaged with the lower cross head 31 the die 30 will be lowered into compressing position and when these points engage the rollersof the upper cross head 28 the die will be lifted a sufficient distance to rmit the article which has been pressed to bg raised out of the die and removed. The cross head 28 reciprocates also on rods 29 mounted in brackets 33 carried by the frame of the machine as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The die casing 40 is provided on its inner face with a longitudinally extending groove 41 extending from a point near the top of the casing to a jont just above the line which is occupied y the object to be compressed in the casing. Opening laterally through the side wall of the casing 40 and communicating with the groove 41 is an opening 42 into which is designed to be inserted a pipe 43 which is connected with a vacuum tank 45. The pipe between these points is provided with a quick opening valve 44. A vacuum pump 46 is connected with the tank 45 to exhaust the air therefrom and to create a vacuum in the line pipe 43 so that the air which has been confined in the casing 40 incident to the descent of the plunger 30 will be exhausted and thus prevent wind blowing or the compressing of air into the product. Obviously vacuum is to be exerted only after the plunger 30 has entered the casing 40 and for this reason the quick opening valve 44 is provided which is to be opened as soon as the plunger 30 has entered the die case 40 on its downward stroke and again closes and cuts off the vacuum tank as soo as the plunger 30 reaches the bottom of its stroke. Obviously small particles of the material may become drawn into the vacuum lineand for this reason a trap 47 is located between the valve 44 and the casing 40 into which these particles may fall and be easily removed from time to tlme by openingthe bottom of the trap.

o lock the measuring box 4 in proper relation to the supply spout 3, it is found necessary to provide means for preventing the rotation of the pinion 13, the turning of which operates the sliding measuring box. The means provided for this purpose comprise a mutilated plate or disk 48 keyed to the shaft 15 adjacent the mutilated gear 14. This disk 48 has a peripheral'recess 49 extending about one-fourth of the circumference thereof and cooperates with a smaller disk 50 keyed' to the shaft 12 adjacent the pinion 13.l Y

The disk 50 which is keyed to shaft 12 in alinement with disk 48, that is, so that the peripheries of the two disks aline, has two recesses in the periphery thereof oppositely disposed and numbered 51 and 52 and the two disks are so mounted in relation to each other that when the teeth of the gear 14 have passed out of mesh with those of pinion 13 the plates 48 and 50 will have been so turned in relation to each other that the periphery of plate 48 will be lockingly engaged with plate 50 and prevent all possibility of `turning of shaft l2 until the teeth of ear 14 again mesh with the pinion 13.

n the use of this apparatus the material from which the goods is to be manufactured in the form of a powder, either dry, semi-dry or 1n a moist condition is placed in the l hopper 2 and with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4 such material will pass into the measuring box 4 which is of a predetermined size to accommodate the necessary quantity for producing the articles to be formed. The power for rotating shaft 24 is brought into working effect and it may be of any desired character being preferably electric and supplied from a motor indicated at 35. When the shaft 24 is turned motion is transmitted through the chain 22 sprocket wheels 23 and 21 to the cam shaft 15. This turning of the cam shaft operates the mutilated gear 14 and the teeth thereof mesh with the pinion 13 turning said pinion a complete revolution. This turning of the pinion 13 operates the disk 10 and through the link 9 transmits motion to the measuring box 4 and pushes said box over the die casing 40 and discharges the contents of the box into said casing. The box is then retracted on the further turning of the gear into its initial 13 and positioned as shown in Fig.- 4 so as to receive the next charge.

After the material has been deposited in the die casing 40 the continued turning 5 of shaft 24 causes the cam 25 to revolve and the points thereof to engage the rollers 26 thus forcin the cross head 31 downward until the p un er or top die 30 enters the casing 40 an continuing its downward stroke operates to compress the material in the casing 40 between it and the lower die or plunger 20.l This pressure remains momentarily until the article is compressed to the desired extent when the continued 15 turning of the shaft 24 operates to remove the pomts of cam from engagement with the rollers 26 and brings them into engagement with the top rollers 27. This lifts the cross head 31 carrying with it the top die 2 30 clear of the die casing 40. During this operation the mutilated gear 14 continues to revolve carrying with it the cam 16. This caml actuates the bell crank lever 17 and through the link 18 which is attached to the 25 bottom die 20 lifts said die. As this bottom die is lifted the top die raises simultaneously and the object compressed is ejected clear from the die casing. The die 20 is raised only to the top of the casing but the 3 top die 30 continues its upward movement a suflicient distance to space it above the casing a distance to rmit the completed piece to be removed. fter this has been accomplished the bottom plunger 20 drops back sition ready to receive the next charge o material. 'llhis dropping back into osition is incident to the pull exerted by t e weight 19.

It is of course understood as above de- ,4 scribed that when the top plunger 30 lowers into the casing 40 the air is exhausted by means of the suction pump 46 so that the article compressed will be free vfroml wind blowing and lamination. u.

It will thus be seen that by this method and ap aratus clay goods or goods made from ot er material where a powder is used as the raw material'air is evacuated from the die during the forming process and lmthus is not compressedv into the finished vention will be readily ap arent to those -skllled 1n the art, and it wi of course, be

understood that changes in the form, pro- A portion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed. l

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for making articles from air penetrable compressible material, a die casing, die plungers movable into and out of said casing from opposite ends thereof, means for feeding material to said casing between said plungers and means for oprating said plungers between said feedin o erations to compress the material and e]ect the finished article, and means for locking said feeding means temporarily against movement during the charging operation.

2. In an apparatus for making articles from compressible material, a die casingA open at both ends with upper and lower plungers mounted to reciprocate therein through opposite ends, means for feeding material to said casing between said plungers, a driving shaft, a crosshead mounted to reciprocate vertically over said casing and carrying one of the lungers, rollers carried by said cross head), another cross head spaced above and connected with said first mentioned crosshead, rollers carried by plish the ejection of the compressed article, 'and gravity controlled meansconnected with the first-mentioned end of the bell crank lever for returning the lower lunger to inital position article. Moreover the 'apparatus herein Y' p shown 'and described automatically fills the die and compresses and ejects the completed 'article whereby the production of the goods v u is speeded up leading in excess of other types of machinesnow used for this purpose.

It is of course understood that before or just as the plunger enters the die casing the' valve 44 is opened to bring into action u the vacuum tank 45 for sucking out'the air which enters withthe goodsand with the plunger as has been hereinbefore fully described. r Y

.Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the 1nof said` after e'ection o the article. RICIIABDl L. CAWOOD. 

